Cycling Safety

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 21, 2012 in cycling safety, health, LEJOG, Simon Dalgarno

I have recently put my name forward to assist with Scotland’s new cycle safety scheme, volunteering time to go into schools and do the new three part Bikeability Training. This got me thinking about the hot topic of cycling safety. With National Newspapers getting involved and a story every week regarding a serious injury or death on the roads I decided to look into this a bit further. Cycling Injury Statistics Now I know we can look at statistics all day long and garner what we want f... read more...

Swrve Jeans Review

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 20, 2012 in andy ward, City Cycling, Cycling Gear, fixed wheel, I Cyclist, reviews

Whilst wearing lycra to the pub might get you some funny looks, cycling in jeans is not always the most comfortable experience. Denim, whilst hardwearing, is not the most forgiving of fabrics and seams placed in what might be termed “sensitive” areas, can dig in after a surprisingly short time in the saddle. Fortunately Los Angeles-based swrve have tackled this with some very bike-friendly features on their latest jeans. Form and Function Founded in 2005, swrve have always been at the f... read more...

Cycling in the Highlands

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 17, 2012 in Hill Climb, I Cyclist, LEJOG, Simon Dalgarno, training

A bright blue sky, the low winter sun casting shadows on all the evergreen trees, and a light dusting of snow on the hills looking like icing sugar on the top of a sponge cake. Sounds like a picture that one of the pro teams who are training in Spain or the South of France would have on their Twitter over the past few weeks. But no, this is the scene that I awoke to last Monday, and also the week before on my day off.  Living in Inverness, in the North of Scotland, I hear you all sa... read more...

Mountain Biking - A Dark Art

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 14, 2012 in Hill Climb, mountain biking, training, winter

The following is a guest post from Mountain Biking skills instructor Steve Owen. Catch up with him on his website - Sacred Rider Running your own business is a tricky thing to do these days, but something many of us do dream about during those ‘mundane days in the office’ or those cold damp mornings when you just don’t want to get up, or those times when you didn’t get that promotion and Barney ‘what’s his name’ got it instead.  The reasons are endless and I can feel my blood pres... read more...

Osteoporosis and Osteopenia - Women! Know Your Weakness!

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 14, 2012 in autumn barlow, female cyclists, health, I Cyclist, training

A Facebook friend commented she was off for a bone density scan recently. It sent me into a flashback of when I was 25, lying on my side in a private nursing home in York, with a foam triangle wedged between my thighs. Not my favourite leisure pursuit, I have to admit. But ladies: this is important. Simply because of our gender, we’re more at risk of lowered bone density. We’ve all heard of osteoporosis, right? It happens to old ladies, right? But we’re cyclists, we’re all sporty and fant... read more...

To Clip Or Not To Clip?

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 10, 2012 in Cycling Gear, entry level road bike, I Cyclist, racing, Simon Dalgarno, training

That is the question. After getting back on the bike after so many years and mastering the basics again, I decided last summer that it was time to get more power out of my pedalling and of course this could mean only one thing. The debate of whether or not to go clipless.  Of course my first battle was to understand that clipless pedals actually means you are clipped in (yes very confusing) but I went to the trusted first port of call as always - Google.  Imagine my face as h... read more...

Dear Kindle Subscribers

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 09, 2012

For those of you that didn't know - Daily Cycle is also available through a Kindle subscription. You can find it on Amazon here. For those of you who are already subscribed I would just like to give you a quick apology. It came to my attention this morning that you haven't been receiving full articles through your Kindle. You have basically been receiving the excerpts. This has been happening for the last few weeks due to the changes that were made in the website recently... read more...

Winter Mountain Bike Fun - Snow Messing

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 09, 2012 in andy ward, mountain biking, training, winter

The sudden burst of cold and snowy weather has wreaked havoc with my cycling plans. Icy roads make me nervous on a road bike, and temperatures as low as -6 degrees centigrade more or less guarantee the odd patch of the slippery stuff – usually where you least expect it. Having discovered the joys of road rash in 2010, I’ve not been in a hurry to relive the experience. Shame Last week I had plans to meet Chris from Leicester-based purveyors of cycling loveliness Velobici for a ... read more...

Get out on your bike. You won't regret it!

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 09, 2012 in City Cycling, Cycling Gear, I Cyclist, inspiration, training

The following is a guest post from Chris Walker. You can read more about his cycling adventures here. I've always had a bike. I go back to the days of the Triumph Rodeo with a 3-speed Sturmey Archer gear - I must have been 9 or 10 years old, I suppose. Like most kids at that time, during the summer months, we were out on our bikes, returning only for meals and bed. Happy days.   I never really got back into cycling in any big way after that, until I started a ... read more...

The best Christmas present I ever got

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 08, 2012 in Cycling Gear, I Cyclist, inspiration, LEJOG, Nutrition, Simon Dalgarno, training

The following is a guest post from one of our newest writers - Simon Dalgarno. You can find more from him on twitter - @maisy98 It's Christmas 2010. Sitting after another huge meal in my parents house with a glass of wine by my side and chatting about nothing in particular, I ask my Dad to relive his charity cycle from London to Paris earlier in the year.  He spoke at great lengths about the different people, lifestyles and bikes that were there. I could see his eyes light up t... read more...

Domestiques required to join Daily Cycle

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 03, 2012 in Cycling Gear, female cyclists, I Cyclist, inspiration, Nutrition, Pro Tour, racing, reviews, Tim Bland

Are you passionate about cycling? Do you want the world to hear your views, loves, hates, knowledge and emotions induced by this wonderful sport?  "I started writing for Daily Cycle when I wanted to get my name out there, and build up a portfolio. I get to research topics of interest (ie read cycle websites and blogs for hours), test and review products (ie ponce around in shiny new gear) and witter on at length. It must open doors, because I've got two articles forthcoming in Cycli... read more...

The Psychology of Hills

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 05, 2012 in autumn barlow, female cyclists, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, inspiration, training

I live halfway up a 12% hill. This is an excuse I always like to get in early to a conversation. Hills, you see. I would be faster, but…well, you know. Hills. My average speed around these parts (Rossendale, an entirely vertical part of Lancashire) is 12 mph. Why do I need to make excuses for myself? I can slog away at that speed for hours. When I “got into” cycling, I went on an obsessive binge to read everything, everywhere, about it. However I lacked the expe... read more...

From pro to coach - an Interview with Stephen Gallagher

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted February 01, 2012 in charity, inspiration, interviews, Pro riding, Rob Orr, training

Elite cyclist Rob Orr interviews pro cyclist turned coach Stephen Gallagher and asks him about his time as a professional rider and the transition to becoming a coach and beyond... Stephen, tell us a little about your early years on the bike. How did you initially get into cycling?  My family were all cyclists, my Father had represented Ireland and also my brother so it was kind of inevitable that I would race, I actually did my first race when I was 7, but this was all fun and I o... read more...

Using training diaries for logging progress - online vs paper

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 31, 2012 in autumn barlow, female cyclists, I Cyclist, inspiration, training, winter

When I made that transition from “cycling because I have to get to work” to “cycling to see how far and fast and hard I can go” with occasional “cycling just for the hell of it” moments, I started to log my times and speeds. I signed up to the free part of Map My Ride and became obsessed with numbers. If a weekly distance didn’t match or exceed the previous week’s, I was annoyed. More miles! More miles! From August to December I got steadily better and better. If “better” means I could g... read more...

Winner of the Graeme Obree competition

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 27, 2012 in books, competitions, inspiration, Tim Bland

Just a quick note to announce the winner of the signed copy of The Obree Way by Graeme Obree. We had masses of entries to the competition so thanks very much to you all. But there can be only one winner... Congratulations to you Paul Stewart (@track_stewsie). I'll be in touch, judging by your profile it looks like you'll be putting the book to good use! Condolences to the rest of you but we'll have more competitions coming up soon, have no worries about that ;-) read more...

Merino Wool Arm Warmers for Flexible Winter Riding

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 27, 2012 in Cycling Gear, merino wool, Tim Bland, winter

Some riders seem to think that arm warmers are an unnecessary purchase. But actually, they make winter riding (and year round riding) a much more flexible affair. A decent pair of arm warmers will keep you warm and dry when you need it but be small and light enough to tuck away when you get too hot. This may seem obvious but using arm warmers has some real advantages. You require less base layers Winter riding generally requires a wardrobe stocked full of base layers. If, like me, you are... read more...

Saddle Bag review - Scicon Aeronaut

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 26, 2012 in andy ward, Cycling Gear, reviews

The saddle bag is a fairly humble object. One of those cycling items you tend to take for granted (until you get a puncture). It’s probably not something you give a lot of thought to before purchasing. Scicon, the Italian bike luggage experts, have decided that it’s time for a change to the common saddle bag and come up with the innovative and unusual Aeronaut. Smooth and Sleek The first thing that strikes you about the Aeronaut is the shape. Like a large, fluorescent yellow... read more...

Fixed up for the Winter

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 26, 2012 in andy ward, Cycling Gear, fixed wheel, Hill Climb, I Cyclist, training

In 2009, I was lucky enough to be a member of Team Cycling Plus. As part of the deal, I had the use of a Verenti Millook. It was a great bike and I logged up thousands of miles on it. Unfortunately, it was only on loan and in December last year, they finally asked for it back. With my best bike mothballed until the good weather returns, I've had to look elsewhere for a bike to ride through the winter. Last year, with the hill climb season approaching, I picked up a bargain... read more...

Fibre Flare Ultimate Safety Rear Tail Light Review

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 25, 2012 in Cycling Gear, rob ellis, winter

It's surprisingly not that often that a piece of bike kit makes us at Daily Cycle stop and say "actually, that's a brilliant idea!" But today we have a review of just such a product! Fibre Flare are a bike light company who specialize in rear lights and I've been riding with one of their best offerings since September. The Fibre Flare Ultimate Rear Light has to be one of the simplest but most versatile bike lights out there at the moment. The light itself is in the form of a light tube, o... read more...

Grupetto - Italian style and performance at an affordable price

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 19, 2012 in Cycling Gear, Tim Bland

Recently I was contacted by the team from Grupetto with a press release of their 2012 range of bikes. I don’t normally publish press releases but these bikes are a thing of beauty in my opinion. I was also intrigued when I noticed that the riders in the photos are all wearing Velobici clothing. We will hopefully be test riding them in February, so for now here is a quick look at what they offer. Grupetto’s Nat Rizzi says “To get a half decent looking frame usually means... read more...

Recent Cycling ArticlesRSS

Cycling Safety

I have recently put my name forward to assist with Scotland’s new cycle safety scheme, volunteering time to go into schools and do the new three part Bikeability Training. This...

Swrve Jeans Review

Whilst wearing lycra to the pub might get you some funny looks, cycling in jeans is not always the most comfortable experience. Denim, whilst hardwearing, is not the most forgiving...

Cycling in the Highlands

A bright blue sky, the low winter sun casting shadows on all the evergreen trees, and a light dusting of snow on the hills looking like icing sugar on the...

Mountain Biking - A Dark Art

The following is a guest post from Mountain Biking skills instructor Steve Owen. Catch up with him on his website - Sacred Rider Running your own business is a tricky...

Osteoporosis and Osteopenia - Women! Know Your Weakness!

A Facebook friend commented she was off for a bone density scan recently. It sent me into a flashback of when I was 25, lying on my side in a...

Post Tags

On Twitter

Follow @daily_cycle